Sealants can provide protection to fabrics against various substances that may degrade and/or stain the fabric material in order to extend the life of fabrics, carpets, and other like materials. Such substances that can damage fabrics include water and organic substances (e.g., oil-based liquids or aerosols). Fabric sealants also may contain inhibitors to retain color or retard fading.
Current fabric sealants used for automotive upholstery are generally available in liquid form (e.g., solvent-based or water-based), and may be applied by means of a hand-held sprayer or tank sprayer with a wand, for instance. The application process may take several minutes to deposit a sufficient amount of sealant to cover and treat all of the fabric and carpeting in a vehicle. Typical dry times for such sprayed-on fabric sealants can range, for example, from 30 minutes to several hours, depending on various factors such as the amount of sealant applied and uniformity of coverage, the nature of the upholstery (e.g., product construction, types of materials used, etc.), and environmental conditions including the temperature and the relative humidity. Unless the fabric sealant is pre-applied, the application process will, in many cases, require the customer to bring the vehicle back to the dealership for sealant application and proper drying. Thus, the application process may inconvenience both customers and dealerships.
Moreover, because the typical application process involves spraying, a substantial amount of aerosolized fabric sealant can be wasted and lost to the surrounding air and never reach the fabric surface. This can present a potential health and/or environmental hazard. In addition, spraying and the resulting fabric sealant aeration may lead to unintended and/or undesirable deposit of fabric sealant onto non-fabric surfaces.